MSU HE at CanCon 2015 - Summary

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi guys!

@ Curu

I must admit I don't quite understand why do you think Swedish comp is inherently flawed? Maybe it is because we look at variety from different points of view? When I said this composition encourages variety I meant that in the way armies look, what types of units they take and if two armies from the single book look alike or not. I didn't mean that variety = spread of scores throughout the range.

The points bracket, according to my knowledge, were designed in this way to achieve a similar effect that capping does. It makes hard for players to achieve 20-0 results thus giving some an enormous lead from the start while automatically disqualifying those who happen to lose badly even once. I think it works very well because the winner was not known until the very last game and even then there were 1-point differences between the top players too.

@ Ferny

I am as surprise as you that there is already an interesting discussion going and I hope it also helps readers to get more information on how this particular tournament works. I think it is great as it will put the future game in good context. And obviously I am very happy that the topic generates nice traffic. I will do my best to maintain that with the steady supply of the reports!

Reavers, as many other units that are flexible but not necessarily main point collectors and who are very fragile are useful but not forgiving. If you make a mistake you can lose them quickly. But I am a big fan of fast cavalry units in general and I think they have an important role to play in HE armies. It is good then to talk about them with more details in the context of this particular style too.

Thanks for the support too!

@ jamierk

I thought about them too! They have the advantage in the fact that they can charge far and over the units so cannot be blocked. They are of course fragile but at the same time what is not in my army? The main issue I have with them at the moment is that I don't have the models and with the future of the game quite unsure I would not invest in new models at the moment. But maybe UB is the place to test them in some configuration?

I know last year Mick Ferraro used them and he liked what they did. You will also see 3 of them with bolt throwers in the first battle report as my opponent, Jack, had them in his army!

Cheers!

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Game 1 - Dawn Attack - Jack - High Elves

The first game of CanCon usually is a Dawn Attack and I think it is a suitable scenario to begin with. There were no modifications so we played by the book. I had a great pleasure to meet and play against Jack for the very first time. Jack decided to bring a very unique army to the event and I must say it looked absolutely fantastic! Here is a picture of this glorious host when assembled on a display base:



As you can see there are many fliers and many chariots in it! It was a fast force with some shooting support but due to the nature of the Dawn Attack we were not sure what kind of bizarre formation our respective armies are going to adopt. With many units on each side we expected some of them may end up in weird places. Before I proceed to the deployment, here is Jack's army list with more details:

High Elves - Army List

Annointed, General, Flamespyre Phoenix, Dragonbane Gem, Charmed shield , Biting blade , Khaines ring of fury - 480

Mage, Level 2, Dispel scroll - 145 - Lore of Death - 145pts
BSB, heavy armour , Shield of the meryrm , Ruby ring , Warrior bane - 144pts

5 Ellyrian Reavers, standard , spears/bows - 105
5 Ellyrian Reavers, standard , spears/bows - 105
18 Archers, musician , standard - 200
18 Archers, musician , standard - 200

Sky cutter, bolt thrower - 120
Sky cutter, bolt thrower - 120
Sky cutter, bolt thrower - 120

Tiranoc chariot - 70
Tiranoc chariot - 70
Tiranoc chariot - 70

Flamespyre Phoenix - 225
Flamespyre Phoenix - 225

As I have already mentioned, a very mobile army with a lot of impact hits that can ruin my day. I decided to adopt a defensive approach for the opening of the game and wait for Jack to come to me as he had to if he wanted to earn points. Let's have a look at his list with more details:

Annointed - With built in ward saves for himself and his mount they are already quite reasonable protected. With good winds of magic and casting a spell from the ring he and his phoenix can boost their protection to very respectable 3++! That is already hard to pass by and if you add to the equation the fact that he can return if killed then this model alone is quite hard to kill. I would also need to be careful with his fly over attacks (as well as the similar trick with the other two phoenixes). His offensive powers were less intimidating even if I had to remember about thunderstomps against my fragile infantry. Because of the flaming attacks of the phoenix, however, I could try to pin him down with Dragon princes or eagle riding noble.

Mage - just a level 2 but with 2 magical rings there can be an interesting magic phase to stop. He is obviously a character killer. And with a good roll for winds of magic stopping some sniping spells and magic missiles can be a trouble.

BSB - a little fragile character and I know it because I used to equip my own BSB in a similar fashion. Always a useful character but with only two units to join he may be facing some difficulties and keeping him safe can be a challenge.

Reavers - being a fan of light cavalry I always like to see them on the battlefield and I am always curious how my opponents want to use them. Jack decided to give them banners and I think it is due to the fact we were also to play Blood and Glory during the tournament. Usually, such unit is my priority to eliminate but with so many chariots around they might wait.

Archers - good support and can provide ranks to all these impact hits. Will be a great asset against my small units so I guess some returning fire and cavalry attacks should be a method to deal with them. However, as with reavers, I needed to deal with the fliers first.

Skycutters - target priority number one. The reason being I cannot divert them, and they also can potentially threaten the flanks with their bolt throwers. Hence, I decided to shoot and/or magic them down and use my cavalry and nobles to intercept them.
However, I was very curious how they will work in larger numbers and in this particular army.

Tiranoc Chariots - they might be cheap and fragile but there are 3 of them and together with skycutters they can be devastating on the charge. It looks like I will ask my shooters and the loremaster to do a lot of things, in particular early in the game!

Phoenixes - less popular cousins of Mr. Frosty, these guys can still be dangerous. First, flying over will be a problem against small units as even without many ranks these casualties will add up. Second, they are flying monsters and as such are a serious threat already. Third, they can help anointed and other elements of the army to get to the units they wanted to hunt down simply due to their ward save and ability to engage the enemy fast. Last but not least, they can do damage when they die and then return for even more harassment! Fortunately, I had some high strength attacks to use and I planned to employ them whenever possible.

The main challenge in this game would be to try and maintain cohesive formation despite the unpredictable scenario, use magic and shooting to the advantage and if successful I should be able to gain numbers superiority in order to kill more units than I lose. However, the difficulty will lie in the fact there are way too many targets and I would need to select them carefully and make sure they die as the chariots with a single wound can do a lot of damage anyway.

I won the roll off and had to deploy the army first. Please, note that the units on the flanks and in the middle usually were placed there because they had to. In the certain deployment area it was of course possible to arrange the formation to an extend but some improvisation due to the rolls was required.

Deployment


Armies arrayed for battle - duel of two different MSU forces


Deployment of the forces after vanguard moves

Both armies tried to adapt to the situation when units showed up in particular areas of the battle field. However, we were both relatively happy with what we got. Jack could hide majority of his army behind the hill while I was content with more distance between the forces. It looked more like a meeting engagement now.

Seeing that Jack forces were spread and some of them are at the rear I decided to focus my fire on one target at a time (if possible) and move to another only if the first one was destroyed. This approach can be important against reavers in particular that tend to hide well if in small numbers. Both our armies (with some exceptions) didn't give many points per unit but that is why bot of us looked for the opportunities to do enough damage to collect them.

Despite the fact I knew I have better chances to claim first turn I still deployed further away. First, it would prevent any disasters if lucky 6 was rolled to steal the initiative. Second, it was more important to have enough space in between to use shooting and magic to the great effect.

Jack did his best but the dice gods didn't hear him yet and I proceeded to my first turn!

Outcasts - Turn 1


Shy advance on the flanks


First blood for the Outcasts!

The Outcasts didn't move much knowing time is on their side (at least at the moment) and moved on the flanks slightly. While it was understandable on the right flank, the caution on the left was more surprising. With superior forces they could have put more pressure on a lone skycutter.

With so many targets Larry the Loremaster and the rest of army shooters had plenty of work to do and they started without a delay. Not many targets were in range yet so they focused on what they could. One skycutter and one Phoenix were wounded after a unit of reavers was destroyed. First blood for the Outcasts!

High Elves - Turn 1


Phoenixes hide behind the hill!


Death mage claims his first victim!

Visibly concerned with the efficiency of the shooting of their enemies, high Elves seek the shelter behind the nearby hill. Skycutters and charioteers tried to return the favor but only two opposing fast cavalry were unhorsed (Edit: forgot to add blast markers to ER2 unit). However, a lonely spellcaster managed to single out enemy noble knight and in the battle of minds he defeated his enemy, who fell dead from his horse.

Outcasts - Turn 2





The regiments on the left flank moved in a more aggressive way to force an attack from the skycutter but it didn't matter as it was plucked from the skies with a well placed fireball (I think ). Another skycutter was destroyed by shooting and second unit of fast cavalry was depleted too.

High Elves - Turn 2


Phoenixes spearhead the attack!


Phoenixes in all their glory


Moving in!

Annointed decided it is time to act more swiftly as enemy fire was inflicting too much damage. Archers got in range too but their shooting was not yet that efficient.

However, in doing so they also put themselves in harms reach as the enemy could intercept them now.

Outcasts - Turn 3


The charge backfired badly


A disaster!

White Lions spotted an exposed flank to the enemy fast cavalry and it also looked like they would be able to overrun into nearby phoenix. Dragon Princes were also eager to fight and reavers decided to withdraw as fighting against such overwhelming odds was a suicide. White Lions decided to try their luck and re-directed to attack the phoenix in front of them but it was too ambitious to work (Edit: I needed 10+ on 2d6). Dragon Princes, however, hit the flank of the phoenix without a trouble.

However, they carried magical banner that granted them flaming attacks, potent weapon but a huge liability against Flamespyre Phoenix. Knowing that, the regiment of Swordmasters decided to help. Unfortunately, these warriors of Hoeth lost their nerve and their attacks did absolutely nothing (Edit: Failed fear test). Dragon Princes managed to wound the Phoenix though but it was for nothing as it stomped the Swordmasters mercilessly (Edit: nothing like being hit on 3+ and a 6 for t-stomps!) and by in the end only two of them survived the fight. No wonder then they fled to safety. Surprisingly, Dragon Princes too decided to withdraw (Edit: Failed steadfast break test on Ld 9 ).

The attack that was supposed to stem the advance of the enemy turned into a complete disaster and pursuing foe was in a great position to carry on with the momentum!

On the other flank the regiments re-arranged their position to face the enemy. The only good moment was when yet another skycutter was shot down from the skies.

High Elves - Turn 3


Right flank collapsed.


Failed attack had dire consequences

Seeing a new opening in the enemy lines High Elves exploited the opportunity. Phoenixes first chased off already fleeing Dragon Princes from the battle field and then terrorized White Lions who did the same. So much for their legendary bravery! (Edit: Failed re-rollable terror test on Ld8 )

Anointed spotted a weak link in the enemy lines too and charged badly positioned Reavers who had to flee in order to keep enemy general in the middle of the field instead of granting him access to the back yard. Anointed used his magical ring to destroy a bolt thrower and Larry the Loremaster could do nothing about it (Edit: double 6 was rolled!).

The situation changed dramatically as the Outcasts lost 5 units in a quick succession.

Outcasts - Turn 4


Consolidating positions


Ranged attacks still deadly

After heavy blow Larry the Loremaster had no other option but to form a defensive formation and proceed to fighting withdrawal. Fortunately ranged attacks were still at his disposal and one of the Phoenixes were shot down (at least for now!). The rest of the army moved back and only Dragon Princes destroyed the chariot that blocked their way.

High Elves - Turn 4


I swear the was a unit of archers there!


High Elves keep pressing forward

Anointed didn't risk solo charge just yet and flew his phoenix over the enemy unit. With the help of his own shooters he reduced the enemy unit of archers to a very concerned champion. Second phoenix quickly finished another bolt thrower and sped forward to aid the general of the army.

Outcasts - Turn 5


Fighting withdrawal continues


High Elves are quite spread

Larry the Loremaster, Bob the BSB and their bodyguards jump to the nearby house to claim defensive positions. Dragon Princes destroy yet another chariot that was in front of them, clearly slowing their advance so that they could not attack fragile archers.

At this stage it was just saving time and preventing casualties if possible.

High Elves - Turn 5


Circling around

High Elven archers showed their marksmanship as despite the multitudes of obstacles, enemy regiments and even a spell disrupting their abilities to shot they still singled out a lone champion and killed him from afar!

Outcasts - Turn 6


Last gamble!


Eagle vs Phoenix!

Eagle rider felt ashamed he hasn't contributed to the effort of his army. He decided he could redeem himself by attacking the enemy general. The plan was simple, wound the phoenix badly so that it can carry his rider away in an attempt to seek safety. Noble rider drunk his magical potion, leveled his star lance and charged. Unfortunately, he wounded the Phoenix only once and it was not enough to break its resolve. Now he had to wait to receive the counter attack of another phoenix.

High Elves - Turn 6


Counter charge!


Escaped but just!

With both armies exhausted it was up to the leaders to finish the clash. Phoenix charged fighting noble but his dragon armor saved him (Edit: I should have challenged anyway to be safe for sure) but the impact of the attack was high and he had to withdraw. Luckily for him, the phoenixes were not as fast as his eagle and he escaped!

Summary


Turn-by-turn summary

After-battle thoughts

First of all I would like to thank Jack for a great game, full of movement and action! It was pleasure meeting you and I greatly enjoyed our game. It was a fantastic start for a fantastic tournament!

When we calculated the points it was still a draw which I was very happy to get after that turn 3 disaster. I thought about my decision to add Swordmasters to the attack and I came to the conclusion it was simply a mistake. With Dragon Princes alone I was winning combat by 3 already (charge, flank, banner) and was not in bad position to keep that phoenix in place. With a bonus from a single wound I had no chance to lose that combat at all. Phoenix would have had to take break test on Ld5 if it didn't wound DP back.

When I added Swordmasters I gave my opponent the opportunity to inflict easy wounds. Even with fear check passed I could not count on killing the phoenix on the charge. When I failed that fear check (no BSB nearby to reroll that) I helped my opponent enormously. Then he proceeded to roll a 6 for t-stomp that sealed the deal. The fact that I also failed Ld9 break test is irrelevant as I could have easily avoided the whole pickle. It was a mistake that cost me the game as the chain reaction of bad consequences followed.

I attacked the phoenix because I thought that winning the combat will get me close to the anointed or even would allow me to hit him with the overrun move. But again, I could have done so with DP's alone. Very bad mistake that should not have happened.

I made a few more unfortunately. First one was to stay with my noble close enough for the spirit leach to be cast. I failed to dispel and rolled low while Jack got a high result. Again, better assessment would have prevented that from happening.

The advance on the left flank was too shy. I should have moved towards the skycutter more aggressively, put DP next to the building (so that the flank shot would have been impossible) and force the enemy to charge. If they did I had 2 units waiting to counter. If not I would attack myself.

There was a little bit of desperation in that last charge too but my reasoning was as follows. I have 4 attacks and ItP so no need to roll fear check. I directed 4 attacks (and eagle's for what it was worth) against the phoenix. I was hitting on 3+ with a re-roll, wounding on 2+ with S7 and then there were 5+ ward saves. But I rolled poorly on to wound as well and got only one wound through (it is also quite possible I didn't get many hits despite the re-roll). I think it was good decision because it gave me the chance to break the enemy general. He could not wound me much due to dragon armor and low strength attacks. But it didn't happen and I was lucky to escape when he broke from combat. Which is funny because I had to pass Ld test on the same value as my opponent

I am sure there are many things I could have done better and I will try to post alternative deployment at some stage too.

Thanks for reading!

[Curu Olannon]

I was suggesting that SWE-comp is flawed because of it being based on the 1 comp point = 150 VP per game premise. While you are correct that this depends on how you apply the comp, it is my understanding that this is the baseline for how they balance armies.

Anyway, this is all too theoretical as I haven't yet played with it. I welcome the variety they are trying to make, but based on what I'm hearing, this might not be what they are currently achieving.

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

It's a good idea to read the document as there is entire page dedicated to how the comp score can be applied and what are pros and cons of each method accordingly to the authors. There is also a whole topic dedicated to the comp here:

Swedish Comp - TWF topic

It is long now but maybe there are some additional insight to how it is perceived to work by the authors (at least one of them posts there and comments).

I still don't understand how did you arrive to the conclusion that 1 point = 150VP means the system is flawed but I guess it is a discussion for another time.

For this particular tournament players had to factor it in one way or another and the result was that there were many interesting armies that got quite a high comp regardless.

[Curu Olannon]

Yeah, I've read it. I also read the live discussion on the swedish warhammer forum (it's open and our languages are similar enough so I can understand it). It is a topic for another debate indeed and we can put it to rest for now so you can continue your cancon reports, but the TL;DR is that I think the 1 point = 150 vps create too much complexity to balance.

[JimmyGrill]

Wow, that list sure is different - I actually love Swedish because it allows people to bring something like this to a tournament.

All those chariots and phoenixes are a really tough nut to crack for your list SM, I'm curious to see how the battle turns out... especially as I have decided on fielding some Skycutters myself.
EDIT: of course, your two nobles could be instrumental in this game.

[Ferny]

Gotta say, if your opponent had been given the brief to create an oddball list which could maximally mess you up, i don't think they could have done a better job. I'd actually really like to see how he does against a variety of players.

gonna have to look at tbe map on a bigger screen to comment on deployment, but my initial prediction is that you'll struggle here.

could you share a little more ob your plan going in to this? Or maybe, given funky deployment riles, your plan post deployment. So far I've read tie up flames with dragon princes/noble and prioritize skycutters. Looking forward to more!

[Hinge]

I think this has the chance to be an interesting match. SM has small advantages in shooting and magic. Keeping a single unit from being charged by more then 2 chariots will be a key.

Looking forward to reading about it.

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi guys,

@ JimmyGrill

Indeed, that is great thing when people bring varied armies and I can tell you many of them were surprised the things they brought for a laugh actually worked very, very well and they started using them in other games no matter what the comp is.

Yes, Jack's list is definitely a challenge. I need to ask you for a little more patience before I compile all the maps for the report.

@ Ferny

Ha! That is an interesting comment! I can of course think about some more examples of anti-MSU armies but I guess this one is pretty good too!

Dawn Attack itself makes planning quite difficult because you have to first see where the units are. Then additional challenge for me was that I had to deploy first and my opponent could react to it to some degree. So I had to come up with an initial plan, see what happens in the deployment and then quickly adapt to the new situation.

My initial plan was to play defensively because I had extra range of bolt throwers to play with and good spells selection that also could be used at longer range. I knew that Jack would have to make a decision how to approach with phoenixes as he could either stay with the rest of the army but slow the advance down or move them as a spearhead and let the second wave of chariots to hit my lines later.

Because of that I also decided to stay further away and if possible utilize double line formation with cavalry to the front and infantry behind them. I learned that it allows me to put some pressure on the enemy too. Heavy cavalry can take one chariot to the chest (risky but still) so if I am aggressive enough I can force these charges and counter. With fliers it has the advantage of not allowing them to jump behind my lines because they might ignore the cavalry but there is no save landing zone behind them. It also allows more freedom of movement because I don't have to stay put all the time and cavalry can destroy chariots if they are charged. In fact, heavy cavalry is at advantage in subsequent rounds of combat too.

My hand was forced a little because I didn't roll any unit to be deployed on the right flank. It resulted in some kind of diagonal or refused flank deployment for both of us. It suited me well but Jack had a great opportunity to hide his units behind the hill (I have just realized that we had true line of sight so maybe I could have seen some of them regardless).

Seeing the deployment I was happy because it looked like I will have some time before his units will be in the range and I could start shooting at him almost immediately. It was also good I had first turn as for defensive approach it is important.

@ Hinge

I hope I will not dissapoint because both armies have some little advantages here in there and we both knew where they were I think. It already created a situation where we would pursue different goals and at the same time try to stop the opponent from doing his job.

Cheers!

[Nicene]

What an exciting matchup! Can't wait

[Galharen]

Well, I can't wait longer to see how the battle ends SM's MSU vs kind of msu too
I'm wondering what impact on the battle had phoenixes and flying chariots, as they seem to be excellent targets for Swordmaster at first.

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi guys,

Sorry for the delay but I warned it may take a little more time than usual. I hope you will enjoy the reading though. Looking forward to reading your comments!

Cheers!

[Cold Phoenix]

I was really interested to see how this game went, given the what I'd seen about the tripple Flamespyre list on WargamerAU before Cancon.

It looks like everything was fine until your turn 3, but then you take a couple of chances, get some horrible rolls and everything falls apart. I don't understand why you decided to send the Swordmasters into the Flamespyre Phoenix. You don't have a good chance of killing it before it strikes back, even with Wildform you should only do 3-4 wounds, so it probably gets to attack (3 attacks hitting on a 4+ and wounding on 2s is probably only one wound), but then Thunderstomp (3-4 hits wounding on 2s) is probably going to do 3 wounds. It seems like a waste when you already are going to win by Rank, Banner, Charge.

The other thing I don't understand is what you were doing with the eagle noble. Apart from death snipes this really looks like a dream matchup for him because he can beat anything in your opponent's list if he gets the charge and probably run it down. On your turn 3, the diagram suggests that you could have charged him out of his unit into Flamespyre Phoenix 1, who was already being charged by the Dragon Princes and stood a good chance of being run down if it fled from the eagle noble. Alternatively, the eagle noble could have tried to charge the anointed, who looks like he might have been out of range of his BSB. If he is and If you made the charge, the anointed’s lack of damage potential and your dragon armour would have given you a good chance of winning by 2-3 and running down the enemy general.

Did you have better luck in the next battle?

[Eltherion2]

Hi Swordy great report as always

An interesting match up HE vs. HE as the armies were so different from each other.

As you said yourself charging the SM's and DP's in at the same time meant that his Phoenix got easy combat res off the SM's. The solo DP's in the flank were more likely to win even if they only generated 1 wound, the main thing was they couldn't be stomped. Anyway easy to see in hindsight, harder in the heat of battle!

The Eagle Noble may have been a bit unlucky not to win his fight vs. the Phoenix but he survived the battle preserving his points at least.

Lesson learned infantry get stomped by monsters especially small MSU blocks.

What was the final result it looked quite close?

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi guys,

Thanks for comments!

@ Cold Phoenix

I guess the best explanation is that I didn't assess the situation properly and didn't even consider all the options. Had I simply consider that DP don't need to inflict any wounds to win the combat comfortably I would not charged with Swordmasters. That was a mistake and I am ashamed I made one.

Even more so when I was so passive with eagle rider. I didn't even check the distance to see how that charge looks like. I keep wondering why I make such mistakes when I should be able to avoid them. Especially that I knew I have a good chance of stopping the phoenixes with dragon armored heroes.

I did try to win the combat with my eagle rider but it was already late in the game and I failed to break the enemy.

@ Eltherion2

While it is true some things look different during the game I should have been able to predict the danger. I simply risked too much and paid for such folly dearly. Maybe one day I will learn

Cheers!

[Jimmy]

Hey SM

Very keen to check out these reports and I hope I can add something useful for a change rather than just passing comments.

Firstly Jack's list is very likeable for me, its fast, flexible and has some suspects that aren't normally seen. I'm sure he must have hacked my computer and stolen it. :p

All of his flyers are capable of putting the hurt on your units individually so it's going to be a real test for you to ensure he never gets the one on one charges he's hoping for. You simply don't have the ablative wounds to absorb too many of those charges in the came without losing some huge capability.

The army looks like it was reasonably painted, was this the case close up?

Deployment I won't even comment on as I believe it's the weakest part of my game personally so I'll just opt to watch. From what I can see there is no sneaky zones enemy fliers can get into that would cause you to react to them which is the best outcome currently so that's praise in itself. I'm surprised he deployed S1 so far away from anything, I'm assuming that was a fairly early drop in the picture?

Turn 1

Great opening frame taking out the enemy Reavers as everyone knows they can be a royal pain in the backside if not dealt with swiftly.

Did Jack forget about movement of S1 or playing games? No doubt future turns will reveal this fact. Ouch about the Spirit Leech! Judging by the map it would have nearly been bang on 24" wouldn't it? Were you anticipating this at all during your movement phase?

Turn 2

Wow, two units destroyed this turn. At the moment I'm scratching my head waiting for Jack to unleash the hounds and make some aggressive moves his turn to put some pressure onto you as currently your plan on shooting bits and pieces is working fantastically. Was there an option to march the DP1 unit onto the hill here to open up some options (not that I'm saying they are 'good' ones). How would the survival of the Noble have influenced them in this turn?

There it is - Jack starts the assault.

Turn 3

I'm chuffed as in Turn 2 I was picking those charges that you'd make, however the results I anticipated were moderately different! At least you've been consistent in dropping a unit each round. That's something!

Damn did Jack just really turn the tides. When are the new dice on order mate??

Turn 4

I'm curious as to why you didn't pull A1 back as well or even swift reform them and move back 5" to make it near impossible for the Anointed to charge in? I see he didn't charge in but uses Wake of Fire attack instead. I'm unsure on the way he's been used here however, I would think he needs enough movement to fly 1" completely over the unit, land and then move back, was this the case?

Turn 5

Not much to say. I'm a little surprised Jack didn't garrison the building and then use it to entice a charge and have a lurking Phoenix nearby to tip the scales for a counter attack. I'm probably missing something however.

Turn 6

Not much to say again.

Not your best game mate but it was a draw so not the worst possible result in the world. I know you mention in your after battle thoughts the Spirit Leech, can you add any more specifics to that particular magic phase? What was the other spell he Mage had access to?

Either way I'm sure everyone will agree it was perhaps one of the more intriguing match ups I've read about and certainly Jack created some problems for your MSU force. I think perhaps however like you've alluded to the Swordmaster charge was an error, after that it seems dice rolls had a large part to play for your draw.

As per usual I thank you for taking the time to document and share your battle and I'm looking forward to the next 7!

[Ferny]

Thanks for a great game and write up. My comments:

1. With your initial success at blowing up his advance units I think your opponent was over-confident with his reavers and he should have held them back more. I also wonder whether it was a mistake for him to deploy the chariots on the backline as they took a turn just to get up to where they could have started? Really nice to see targetted fire having an impact as planned for you though. Also good to see you had a plan and stuck to it RE - deploy deep and apply missile pressure, with the cav forming an advance line (even if you didn't push them as hard as you feel you should have).

2. Regarding the SM/DP dual charge and its fall-out...recognising the underlying mistake was to throw in the SMs, do you think the subsequent route meant that BSB/Ld9 general were poorly positioned? Or are you happy with where they were and the rout was simply poor rolling and a natural consequence to the SM mistake? I've trained myself to wonder this whenever I see failed Ld tests, and here they were quite crucial.

3. I think, given that rout, you did exceptionally well to score enough points off him to claim the draw. I guess this came from the early wins and the continued ranged pressure...its interesting to see you claiming points in this way despite (me at least) having gotten used to your army wanting to envelope in combat and go for the jugular. Do you think part of this came from the inclusion of more archers? More points also seemed to get eaten up by your left flank DPs - do you think your opponent misplaced those easy chariots in terms of positioning, or were they serving a purpose there which I missed?

After-battle thoughts
When we calculated the points it was still a draw which I was very happy to get after that turn 3 disaster. I thought about my decision to add Swordmasters to the attack and I came to the conclusion it was simply a mistake. With Dragon Princes alone I was winning combat by 3 already (charge, flank, banner) and was not in bad position to keep that phoenix in place. With a bonus from a single wound I had no chance to lose that combat at all. Phoenix would have had to take break test on Ld5 if it didn't wound DP back.

When I added Swordmasters I gave my opponent the opportunity to inflict easy wounds. Even with fear check passed I could not count on killing the phoenix on the charge. When I failed that fear check (no BSB nearby to reroll that) I helped my opponent enormously. Then he proceeded to roll a 6 for t-stomp that sealed the deal. The fact that I also failed Ld9 break test is irrelevant as I could have easily avoided the whole pickle. It was a mistake that cost me the game as the chain reaction of bad consequences followed.

I attacked the phoenix because I thought that winning the combat will get me close to the anointed or even would allow me to hit him with the overrun move. But again, I could have done so with DP's alone. Very bad mistake that should not have happened.

I made a few more unfortunately. First one was to stay with my noble close enough for the spirit leach to be cast. I failed to dispel and rolled low while Jack got a high result. Again, better assessment would have prevented that from happening.

The advance on the left flank was too shy. I should have moved towards the skycutter more aggressively, put DP next to the building (so that the flank shot would have been impossible) and force the enemy to charge. If they did I had 2 units waiting to counter. If not I would attack myself.

There was a little bit of desperation in that last charge too but my reasoning was as follows. I have 4 attacks and ItP so no need to roll fear check. I directed 4 attacks (and eagle's for what it was worth) against the phoenix. I was hitting on 3+ with a re-roll, wounding on 2+ with S7 and then there were 5+ ward saves. But I rolled poorly on to wound as well and got only one wound through (it is also quite possible I didn't get many hits despite the re-roll). I think it was good decision because it gave me the chance to break the enemy general. He could not wound me much due to dragon armor and low strength attacks. But it didn't happen and I was lucky to escape when he broke from combat. Which is funny because I had to pass Ld test on the same value as my opponent

I am sure there are many things I could have done better and I will try to post alternative deployment at some stage too.

Thanks for reading!

Thank you for this summary. Honestly, as I was reading it, when you said about the flaming banner I thought "well yes, it makes loads of sense to dual charge with the SMs as well". And I was shocked and horrorfied to see so many wound markers on the unit...I wasn't surprised the DPs fled but I was when you pointed out they were steadfast...and then the route. "Oh noes" I thought, "its over now, how unfortunate that an interesting game is derailed by such an unlucky turn of events! I would have loved to see SM combat flyovers and chariots with his forces intact". So while you and other commentators spotted the mistake I was completely wrapped up in the narrative and didn't notice it as a mistake until you described it as such later...I'm not a pro player at all, but I think it is completely understandable why you made it...and lesson learnt (never better than through mistakes I find).

RE: your other comments, nothing to add - thanks for pointing them all out. Out of curiousity, how much of that came to you during/immidiately after the battle, and how much did you distil these thoughts through doing the write up? I know both you and Curu, as two of the more active batreppers here, both say how important this process is to your learning - I wonder if you could 'quantify' it with this case study? (I'm sure it is btw, and I would like to do more of it - I'm not asking because I doubt the truth of the statement - I'm just interested in the 'breakdown' with this example).

Cheers, great reading - looking forward to more. Congrats to you and your opponent

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi Jimmy,

Thanks a lot for such a detailed walk through the game! Always a pleasure to know there are astute readers like yourself to analyze the moves and possibilities!

I can assure you I was about to ask where did he get the ideas from but as he is not from QLD I think he indeed must have hacked your comp!

It was very nicely painted indeed. Unfortunately, we had little time to admire that but maybe I get lucky to find his contact somewhere and he may provide some more close ups. I will let you know as soon as I get something!

Skycutter S1 had to be deployed on that flank simply because Jack rolled that flank for this unit. He was mindful to to keep his chariots of both designs more than 6" away from each other if only possible. I think he decided to create a distraction with this one and I guess that worked.

That is also the reason he didn't move his chariot at all. He kept it stationary as it was still safe and could use that for better "to hit" chance with his portable bolt thrower but luckily for me he missed this time.

Jack was about to skip his magic phase turn 1 but then he remembered he has 24" option for the spirit leach and went for it! I think he simply rolled better than me as we both had level 2 wizards and then showed excellent skills with dice rolling. I honestly didn't think he would be in the range already but it is yet another mistake I should have avoided by simply measuring the distance in the first place.

It is a great idea with Dragon Princes moving on the hill. First, I could have avoided anointed and phoenixes but they would block any chariot charges. I had only 5 knights there to threaten the archers and I would certainly invite a flank shot from Skycutter S3 but it was an option I didn't even consider. Well spotted, thanks!

While these failed Ld8 and 9 tests were painful I could have avoided them in some cases. Can't do anything better with Lions, as they carry gleaming pennant for such occasions. Just frustrating that it all happened at the same time. But I should have done it way better and it all started with the stupid charge of the Swordmasters. As I tried to explain before I didn't assess the situation properly and I didn't consider what are the possibilities. As a result I risked way too much for slim chance of success and paid for that.

As to the dice prepare to see some crazy rolls during the next games!

In turn 4 I didn't pull A1 back because I was already overwhelmed by the losses and didn't think clearly. Few inches backwards would help to avoid Wake of Fire. The way Jack worked it out was that he measured the distance to the unit (as if he wanted to touch it) and then measured again how much was left to move it to other direction. I had that with Terradons often too. So it is not as much as fly over but only fly to touch (although in the case of terradons should be with each model). It is a little annoying because I imagine it really should be a move in one direction but the rules don't say it has to be so people use it this way. In any case another thing I should have anticipated.

In turn 5 Jack didn't jump into that little chicken shed because we agreed before the game it is just impassable terrain. But good thinking, Jimmy! I am sure that he would have used the opportunity if there was an option.

I will need to dig out my notes as it seems I forgot what the other spell was but in general Jack's magic phase was based on the threat of death magic (usually out of reach) and bound spells. Ring of Khaine exploded though so it was not a problem after it destroyed my bolt thrower.

While it seems that dice betrayed me a few times my poor decisions are mainly at fault. Had I avoided some of these I would have finished with a better result for sure. That's why I am glad I got a draw in the end although knowing I could have done much better is indeed frustrating.

Cheers!

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi Ferny,

Thanks a lot for your comments! Like Jimmy, you are also a safe bet for in depth analysis of my games and I greatly appreciate the time you take to provide your feedback!

1. I think Jack should have positioned these chariots closer. I don't have enough firepower to deal with all of them and he didn't use the opportunity to at least threaten me with the charges of 2+ chariots at the same time.

2. It is a very good point and something I should have also added to the assessment of the situation. In general, when facing fear/terror causing enemy I should do my best to keep BSB nearby for the re-rolls, in particular in the case of Swordmasters and White Lions who cannot re-roll misses to hit. Even for Dragon Princes it makes a huge difference as they are not only hitting better but also are hit less often if the fear check is passed.

From that point of view I should have seen warning flag in time and didn't risk the charge that was not well prepared.

3. I am definitely happy with the outcome after I made this horrible mistake. I got his phoenix (225 points is substantial in the game like ours) and Jack also sacrificed 2 chariots to stop my dragon princes who otherwise would attack his fragile archers and their characters. I am not sure it was the best use of the chariots as he seemed to used them as individual units rather than try and combine them into a single attacking force.

I still lost the archers in the meantime so my initial success at getting his units helped. I also need to add I got 150VP extra for the comp difference that in this case meant I was losing 9-11.

The reason I collected majority of points with shooting and magic was because my attacks failed. I didn't plan to sit back all the time and had to resort to very defensive option once I lost substantial amount of hard hitters in turn 3. I like the archers and I will use them as combat troops too but the way I played this game (i.e. defensive) was not due to their inclusion but rather adapting to the dire circumstances and changing the plan mid game.

It is a very good question about the reports and how to measure the impact of post-game analysis. I think I would need to design some reasonable method to do so first so I apologize for qualitative answer when quantitative was expected.

I always learn something during the process of report writing. I found out I can better assess the situation with a map. It is interesting because there are many players who claim something opposite, that they prefer real life battles as that allows them to read the battle field better. I prefer 2D maps either made with battle chronicler or these on universal battle. They are smaller but thanks to that I can see the whole battle field. That is why I learned I can see more options.

Another advantage in report writing lies in the fact that I already know how the battle was resolved and I can have a closer look at the situations that occurred and look at them from different angle. Even the fact that I have more time to ponder about the possibilities makes a huge difference. Like in the case of that unfortunate decision with Swordmasters. At a time it looked like I am adding a lot of high strength attacks to the equation and that it should shift the odds into my favor. And even if I didn't kill the Phoenix I had high strength attacks in subsequent round too.

When writing the report (or more precisely when creating the maps) I can recreate the situation again and simply start thinking about the alternatives. It is extremely helpful at this stage already because I don't have that many opportunities to play many games and learning as much as possible from each battle is even more important.

Without giving you the precise number I can say that after the battle the key situations of the game are definitely well remembered and replayed often. But the majority of conclusions/alternatives/opportunities are gained through the map creation. The write up then is the last stage, still important but focused more on wrapping the new discoveries in words.

Cheers!

[JimmyGrill]

Hi SM,

I think you nailed it already with your post-battle analysis. Turn 3 obviously was make or break, and I think you would have been way better off to send off ER2 into the back of the enemy army to threaten some flank/rear charges on chariots - against the phoenixes ER are useless anyway. Of course, not charging the Swordmasters in would also have been the way to go, but this has been discussed already anyway (instead, it would have been worth considering sending the eagle noble in).

However, what I really liked was how you cut your losses and tried to conserve points in the later stages of the game, still netting you a draw out of a very bad situation. After such a low blow, it is easy to just think "f@ck it" and go all in, guns blazing, almost certainly resulting in a severe loss. So well done in the end.

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi JimmyGrill,

Thanks! I always try to look critically at my own games so that, hopefully, I make less mistakes next time. As you can see it does not always work but I am sure it helps a lot in a long term. Having said that don't be shy in adding your own observations even if they may look as something that has been said already!

I realized my mistake when I did it (I mean with ER2) because not only they didn't contribute to the game much but also provided some easy target for the anointed. If I kept them behind Dragon princes they would be useful still and I would not have given points to the enemy. They are 136 points now so I should be more careful with them!

Thanks! I heard that comment a few times already from my opponents and I consider it a very positive feedback that you and they appreciate the fact I don't give up and try to get the most from the current situation. It is in particular important in a tournament where every point counts but I also think it makes for a more interesting game for my opponents. I am glad then I can do it sometimes

Cheers!

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

I always try to look at my deployment because it is such an important phase of the game. Even with unpredictable Dawn Attack there are things that can be done to make the most of it. I think it is a good exercise to try and come up with some new ideas after the game.

This is what I think could be a better start:



I start with a double line deployment that allows me to move forward and deny safe landing zones behind my lines. I positioned bolt throwers closer to archers and created some kind of fire base in the corner so that I put more distance between these soft targets and the enemy. I also made sure Dragon Princes with the Noble are not too close to the death mage so that he cannot attempt to kill my character turn one.

All units with the exception of Lions and ER1 start in the 12" from BSB. It makes the formation more compact but even without possibility to cause early panic checks I think it is good idea to make sure they are in good distance from each other.

Of course I changed this deployment knowing already where my enemy would be. In the game I had no information like that at all. It is possible then that the better option would be to adapt a different formation. However, I like it anyway due to the reasons I mentioned before.

I also thought about first turn as during the discussion there were some good ideas on the possible alternative moves. Here is what I came up with for turn 1:



Please, bear in mind that this is alternative turn 1 but the units were deployed as in the real game.

On the left flank I move more aggressively with Dragon Princes that have their flank protected with the building. Swordmasters move into charge range of the skycutter but only if it gets double 6. At the same time they are ready for a flank attack. DP1 move forward to be able to charge units that will hide behind the hill. At the same time ER1 are ready to intercept enemy reavers (although I should put them closer to the hill to avoid archers fire).

I also moved both heroes to the second line to be able to charge later on if any of the big birds shows up to at least tie them in combat while staying out of the range of the Spirit Leach. I could of course stay put with the regiments they joined as maybe there was no need to come closer just yet. Enemy is going to spend the first turn moving towards the hill rather than getting to the positions to charge.

Let me know if you think these options are better.

Cheers!

[John Rainbow]

Nice report. I like the look of Jack's list. I would love to try something similar but don't think I've got the courage to try it out in my meta just yet!

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Thanks John!

Maybe you care about the result too much? It does not mean to be reckless either but I have observed that people enjoy their games in a completely new and refreshing way when they break their own habits. Maybe it is also true that in order to experience something new and progress further you need to go out of your comfort zone?

In any case why not organize a friendly game with unorthodox armies as a theme? You know you want to do it more than you admit!

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Greetings!

Apologies for a delay in posting, hopefully I will be able to add new reports more often now.

Game 2 - Battle Line - Hamish - High Elves

Game 2 saw my forces matched against another HE army. Hamish told me it was his first tournament under 8th rules but I am sure it does not mean he was totally new to the hobby as he definitely knew what is he doing. He brought more traditional army to the field with a few popular choices that affected his composition score significantly.

High Elves - Army List

Loremaster, Sword of Might, Shield of the Merwyrm, Golden Crown of Atrazar, Book of Hoeth - 330
BSB, barded steed, Dragon armour , Enchanted Shield, Star Lance, Potion of Foolhardiness - 160

17 Archers, Musician - 180
10 Silver Helms, Full Command - 260
5 Ellyrian Reavers - 80
5 Ellyrian Reavers - 80

18 Phoenix Guard, Razor Banner - 325
24 Swordmasters, Bladelord, Standard of Discipline - 347
5 Dragon Princes - 145

Frostheart Phoenix - 240
8 Sisters of Avelorn - 112
Bolt Thrower - 70
Bolt Thrower - 70

As usual, I will try to have a closer look at each choice in the army list of my opponent:

Loremaster - I don't think I had a chance to play against the Loremaster myself so I was very intrigued by the duel of both characters. Hamish took Book of Hoeth that added to the reliability of spell casting while I was putting my trust into Earthing Rod. His Loremaster was also geared for combat while mine had more protective equipment. As there was also Standard of Discipline present in the army I was almost sure he will join his fellow warriors of Hoeth and as such he would be well protected. However, in well orchestrated combat his bodyguards might not be fast enough to strike before the attackers so I looked for potential openings.

BSB - mounted noble and only 2 heavy cavalry units. One of them 10 strong the other only 5 and again it was easy to predict where is he going to be. That does not mean it would be easy to get him though. He had a respectable 1+ armor save, 2++ against flaming attacks and similar offensive equipment to my eagle rider. He would made his unit more dangerous and with 2 other blocks of elite infantry he would pose a great threat if the efforts of the units could be coordinated. He didn't have much of a ward save though and as such would be more vulnerable to death magic as well as high strength attacks in large volumes.

17 Achers - good unit that can defend itself against some of my small elite regiments and can provide much needed ranged support. I can defeat them but would need heavy cavalry to perform that duty or use my shooting to reduce their fire power. Not to be ignored, as I know very well that if used correctly then can add to combat too.

Reavers - one of my favorite units, I would need to kill them fast. I had an advantage with slightly bigger units but also because mine were equipped with bows. As such I could actually go for one on one duels and I was looking forward to such opportunities. That would free my other shooters to aim at other targets while my fast cavalry would use their advantage to eliminate their counterparts.

Phoenix Guard - a very tough nut to crack even without the aid of characters. With ASF they would butcher my Swordmasters or Lions so I could not allow them to have that opportunity and attack piecemeal. If caught from the flanks or rear and prevented from reforming their ability to fight back would be significantly reduced and it is possible to grind them down. I just need to make sure no enemy units can help them. This unit is also worthy quite a few points so it would be good to take it down.

Swordmasters - personal favorite they were formed into a single block. The advantage is they can sustain their combat capabilities for longer but at the same time they are less flexible. Cavalry and Archers would be great against them due to ASF. But my own Swordmasters to the flank can tip the scales in my favor too.

Dragon princes - small but very useful unit, more as a support for this particular army. However, that made my job more difficult as the more support the enemy has the more time I need to spend on eliminating it. And even if I succeed I might sustain casualties in the process or be simply too late to get much needed combined charges. I planned to shoot at them with bolt throwers if possible. Otherwise, eagle rider or counter charge with my own heavy cavalry could help here too.

Frostheart - one tough monster to deal with and a flier that is almost impossible to contain. I had some high strength attacks, bolt throwers could claim it too. Nevertheless, it was one of the biggest problem to deal with and I wanted to either slow it down with my own fast units (I thought my both nobles had a good chance of wounding it and possibly breaking on the charge). Other than that the main thing would be to prevent it from aiding other regiments in combat even if against my small units they might not need that much help if attacking one-on-one.

Bolt Throwers - no need to introduce these very reliable war machines. They are also a priority to destroy as the damage they can inflict can be crippling. Fortunately, my own shooting, magic missiles and fast units are all very good at hunting these war machines.

Sisters of Avelorn - I really like these ladies for their magical shots and very good ballistic skill despite their short range. Their presence means our shooting potential was more or less equal. I wanted to use my Dragon princes to hunt them down though as their flaming attacks are a liability against this unit.

In general, Hamish had a good, combined arms army, that was not easy to fight against. I decided I would go after reavers, bolt throwers, sisters and dragon princes first. That would leave 3 infantry blocks, one silver helms hammer and frosty to deal with. I was fully aware that requires speed to pull out as if I were slowed down I would not have enough redirectors to divide the enemy and to get the charges that would overwhelm the enemy quickly.

Hamish had clear advantage in close combat provided he kept the battle line intact and force individual fights. I had a few more units and the army seemed to be more flexible in movement phase. I knew it would be a very interesting match and I hope you will enjoy the report. In the meantime, the deployment!

Deployment


Yet another chapter in the history of civil war


Deployment of the armies after vanguard

It looked like we both chose refused flank deployment and the question was who can get enemy's firebase first and who can delay stronger wings long enough for the reinforcements to arrive.

Hamish had +1 to roll off and it was not a surprise that he won and got first turn.

High Elves - Turn 1


Some re-arrangements in the battle line


High Elves advance

Silver Helms and Swordmasters moved forward against a solitary unit enemy heavy cavalry. Archers jumped into the building and begun shooting immediately. Together with the bolt throwers they all aimed at exposed enemy archers and reduced their numbers significantly.

In the center Dragon Princes and Reavers moved in to intercept any foe trying to attack vulnerable bolt throwers while Phoenix Guard spearheaded the attack on the other flank.

Outcasts - Turn 1


Closing in!


Outcasts decided to move forward to meet the enemy

Outcasts moved swiftly on their left flank to start encircling of the Phoenix Guard. Dragon Princes on the right, however, used their speed to avoid enemy cavalry and tempted Swordmasters with a long flank charge. It also allowed them to move closer to the enemy bolt throwers.

Outcasts' own eagle claw aimed at heavy cavalry, unhorsed some and somehow the knights lost their will to fight and fled from the battle field.

High Elves - Turn 2


Heavy cavalry leads the way!


Armies trying to catch each other


Punch for punch

High Elves kept advancing on both flanks. On the left Frosthears spotted a safe landing zone and prepared to attack bolt thrower. Phoenix Guard moved forward despite taking on several enemy units at once.

On the other flank Silver Helms and Swordmasters marched to catch the enemy that tried to avoid their attention. Finally, the shooters finished the depleted enemy archer regiment.

Outcasts - Turn 2


First charges!


Attack of the light forces

Outcasts were running against time so they had to act fast. Dragon Princes moved into the gap and were heading towards bolt throwers (Edit: Map is a little inaccurate as they didn't expose the flank to the enemy reavers in doing so, apologies for that!). They were followed by Lions whose presence was there to put some more pressure on the enemy and guard the flank of the assault group that tried to converge on Phoenix Guard.

Eagle rider and reavers charged light cavalry that blocked their path but surprisingly there were still survivors. They fled and were caught in pursuit by swift ellyrians but the impetus of the charge carried them into treacherous swamps. Only half of the unit emerged from there.

However, it seemed that Phoenix Guard is now isolated.

High Elves - Turn 3


Phoenix Guard didn't take the bait


Shooting proved to be ineffective

On the far left solitary Phoenix attacked exposed bolt thrower, destroyed the machine and turned around to accept the challenge of a valiant Elven noble.

On the other side of the battle field, battery of bolt throwers tried to destroy incoming heavy cavalry but this time they didn't succeed as only 2 knights fell and their companions were determined to avenge them.

Lions too suffered from shooting and they lost majority of their numbers but were also resolute.

Outcasts - Turn 3


Outcasts attack!


But Phoenix Guard holds!

There was no more time to wait so Outcasts attacked. Dragon Princes avenged their fallen companions and charged in against bolt thrower artillery, killing crew of one machine and overrunning into the second.

With their own eagle blocking the way, second unit of Dragon Princes charged Phoenix Guard on a narrower frontage and eagle rider assisted attacking from the rear. The aim of the attack was to pin down the enemy and let the infantry surround the flanks. As expected, Phoenix Guard lost combat this time but held on steadfast.

Ellyrian Reavers were too preoccupied with removing the dirt from their armor and missed the opportunity to charge exposed flank of Sisters of Avelorn.

The rest of the army engaged in delaying tactics for the other two main enemy units. The shooting was focused on fast cavalry but unfortunately, a single rider survived.

Lone hero charges against Frostheart but his attacks are deflected and while his armor saves him the combat ends in a stalemate.

High Elves - Turn 4


Eagle rider or chicken rider?


Phoenix Guard fights back

Single enemy rider is what is needed to block the flank charge of Swordmasters. What is more, Phoenix Guard kills no less than 3 knights and that frightens eagle rider who abandons his companions. Things are getting worse and worse for the Outcasts when second noble dies in combat with frostheart phoenix.

End the enemy closes in!

Outcasts - Turn 4


Outcasts do not give up!


But neither does Phoenix Guard!

Although the attack was not yet well prepared, Archers decided to take the risk and attack the flank of Phoenix Guard. Dragon Princes fought hard but they were already surrounded by the enemy and were killed to the last knight. Despite that, Phoenix Guard still lost the combat and were not steadfast anymore but held fast regardless. They also reformed skillfully and Archers were in a big trouble.

Dragon Princes who were so successful in silencing enemy artillery charged through the forest but treacherous beanches claimed one of them. Another fell to a lucky sword strike from the Sister but before that many of them fell to the attacks of heavy cavalry. But they too held fast even if the casualties were high and only a few of them stayed to hold the line.

The situation looked very dangerous to the outcasts and their fast cavalry moved in to save slower infantry and vulnerable leaders.

High Elves - Turn 5


Phoenix Guard breaks through


All the sacrifice for nothing!

Noble sacrifice of fast cavalry helped avoiding a disaster but valiant archers didn't manage to hold against Phoenix Guard. They broke and were run down and Phoenix Guard were fleet of foot too, moving out of the encirclement.

The only good thing was that lone dragon prince broke through the survivors of Sisters of Avelorn and White Lions survived the shooting.

Outcasts - Turn 5


Last attempt


S1 tried to charge PG but they fled to safety (sorry for wrong arrow colors)

In the last attempt to turn tip the scales to their favor, the Outcasts charge one more time. Eagle rider, trying to redeem himself, charges the Phoenix but is not able to break it. Also Swordmasters charge against Phoenix Guards who do not risk the combat in not so favorable conditions and withdraw to safety.

The only consolation is that the Loremasters manages to claim life of the enemy BSB with his deadly spell.

After that both armies disengage.

Summary


Turn-after-turn animation summary

After-battle thoughts

First of all I would like to thank Hamish for a great game. He was an example to follow as he was always stoic, very friendly and we resolved a few minor situations in a quick and amicable way (i.e. such as what is really seen through terrain etc.). When we calculated the points Hamish was winning 12:8 but due to composition difference it was 12:8 into my favor. I still consider that a victory for my opponent as we started the game when he was losing 16:4.

So what did go wrong? well, I think we can agree that the main situation of the game was the combat against Phoenix Guard. I had them nicely isolated but I executed the attack in a way that saw me losing units rather than destroying the enemy. Despite the fact I won two combats I could not really expect the enemy to run when they took the tests on Ld9 and Ld7 respectively.

During the game I considered the following option:

Charge with noble and dragon princes as I did but also with archers from the front. That was risky because a few attacks from the PG against the archers could have added nicely to its combat result but the possible reward was that I could have enough ranks to break steadfast. The problem is that if the noble fled as he did, Phoenix Guard would have reformed into broad formation and the situation would have been bad too.

The alternative I spotted while writing the report is that I could charge with DP but move to the other corner of PG (passing by the eagle (it looks possible to do so from the picture) and add Swordmasters with BSB from the other corner. In that way I would add more attacks despite being hit first with re-rolls.

Next turn it was quite desperate already. On one hand I think it was worthy a shot to flank charge the enemy as they lost combat but at the same time it allowed them to break through. I wonder then if I should have restrained and simply waited how PG is going to reform. They were surrounded from 4 directions so maybe it would have been possible to be in a position to fell with whoever they wanted to charge after the reform and then charge with 3 other units. It would have been risky though as possible flee paths led toward two enemy units that were blocked by the reavers.

I am sure there are many more things I could have done better and I plan to come back to this game with more ideas but I need to look at if from the point of view of deployment and possibilities the terrain gave me that I might have missed too.

Last but not least, magic seemed not to have a great impact (apart from nice Spirit Leech against BSB) since both loremasters countered each other nicely. But I can assure you that many spells were attempted and as always I should roll better for winds of magic!

Thanks for reading!

[NonnoSte]

Hi Swordmaster,

It seems I'm a little late to comment on the first game, but be sure I enjoyed any last bit of it.
Let me compliment for the awesome work you do with your reports as well for the perseverance you show in battle, even when events turn bad.
Many words have been spent on things done or not done and I don't have much more to add.
I'd just like to add you still look somewhat shy with your Eagle Noble (it could have indeed gone one on one with everyhting in his army, getting the upper hand too).

As for this second battle I see you seemed to propose again a sort of denied flank (and your opponent too, apparently), but you won't have the range superiority of the previous match, since your forces are quite similar in that aspect.
It will be interesting to see how the game develops.
I think you're favoured by the greater mobility of your troops, but his blocks are certainly hard to shift.
Fortunately he deployed PG quite isolated and this should give you time and room to manoeuvre.

I'm waiting eagerly the rest of the report (I swear I have not read your spoiler yet, since I wanted to enjoy your reports from the beggining and with all the suspanse).

[JimmyGrill]

Interesting set-up for game 2. Not sure yet who has the advantage after deployment, but your opponent sure will have a hard time getting his Swordmasters into play (and Silberhelms, to a lesser extend). Still, his firebase looks in a solid position and tackling the Phoenix Guard and Frosty isn't exactly a simple task, either.

I think a lot will depend on how aggressive your opponent wants to act.

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi guys,

Thanks a lot for your comments! They are always greatly appreciated so please, keep them coming.

@ NonnoSte

There is no such a thing as too late and even if things were discussed already I know you can provide a very valuable feedback too! So don't be shy

I really appreciate that you like the reports and such comments like yours motivate me to keep going, so thanks a lot!

I think part of the reason I am shy with the eagle is that I am somehow not convinced he can take a few shots and save them all thus making it possible to move him more aggressively.

It is an interesting observation as I noticed I started to favor refused flank too much now. Maybe it is because I have fewer units now (I checked my early games where I had 14 regiments instead of 11 now). One of the reason I went like that was that I wanted to use some terrain to block his shooting and he seemed to do the same.

Yes, you read my intentions correctly, after deployment I decided to go for PG and slow down the enemy flank as they had a long way to go anyway.

@ JimmyGrill

You are correct! Hamish definitely wanted to use PG as an anvil and while they were a little isolated they had some support around in the form of frosty and light cavalry. I would have to break through somehow to get to the bolt throwers and to do something to slow down the cavalry and swordmasters so that I could surround PG.

Cheers!

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi guys,

Just letting you know that the report from Game 2 is now finished!

Cheers!

[JimmyGrill]

Interesting game, quite a lot happened the way I thought it would.

Frosty and PG proved to be quite a tough nut to crack for you army, and honestly I don't think you really have any particularly effective tools against Frosty. Sending in your nobles seemed like a sacrifice at first, but at least it took the bird out of the game at a manageable cost, while giving you at least a chance to inflict some damage in the process. However, I must say I feel that your opponent did not necessarily play the big bird decisively enough... going for the eagle claw instead of your main strike units doesn't seem like a particularly sound strategy to me for a unit of this potential.

With the Phoenix Guard, I think you were playing a little too defensive and overly cautious, which resulted in not getting a proper trap set up for several turns. Losing a few turns of CC due to bad luck certainly didn't help, however you never brought all the necessary overkill to bear on that unit... the 4+ ward save alone means you really have to go in full force, or a few lucky saves by your opponent can leave you stranded. The positioning of the eagle in front of the PG was not optimal, as it hindered your own troops as well as his unit, and you shouldn't expect a fellow HE player to simply charge into your eagles, he knows this game. Looking back, the entire game now seems to me all about whether you can bag the PG or not, while you keep the rest of his army occupied.

You did well on the other flank though, keeping his isolated units out of the game for minimal cost. Also, you stormed his shooting firebase with much less effort than I expected, it looks like you were helped by your opponent shooting down enough Dragon Princes so that they weren't blocked by his Reavers anymore and you could go for the RBTs